Although it is difficult now, let us overcome this together under the care of Allah whom you believe in
January 18, 2026. Day 2 of Emergency Relief Distribution for Indonesia Flood Victims
Hello. Today is the second day of distributing emergency relief supplies to flood victims in Indonesia.
After completing morning practice and meditation, Sunim had breakfast at 7 AM at the accommodation. After discussing today’s relief distribution plan with JTS President Park Gina, he headed to the village at 8 AM.
As they approached the village, the river that had overflowed during the recent flood and terrified the residents came into view. Sunim pointed to the river and said:
Due to last night’s rain, the village entrance road was once again quickly submerged in water.
The area where relief supplies were distributed to Kurungbuka village residents yesterday was also flooded. Seeing the village flooded so quickly even without heavy rain made the residents’ difficulties palpable.
The first village scheduled to receive relief supplies today was Kubu village. It was planned for distribution yesterday, but due to the time-consuming assembly of wheelbarrows, it was rescheduled for this morning.
After an hour’s drive, they arrived at Kubu village at 9 AM. Villagers were gathering one by one at the mosque to receive relief supplies.
The villagers had reportedly assembled wheelbarrows late into the night yesterday. When Sunim arrived, 200 wheelbarrows were neatly arranged, gleaming in the morning sunlight. It was moving.
“You all really worked hard.”
Sunim encouraged the villagers and FDP volunteers. He then inspected the preparation status of the relief supplies to be distributed. The five cleaning tools – wheelbarrows, shovels, squeegees, hoes, and gloves – along with gas stoves, were all well-prepared according to the number of households.
Next to the mosque was a tent where a communal kitchen had been set up, and women were gathered there cooking for about 700 villagers. Since their homes are filled with mud and they cannot cook inside, they are reportedly preparing and sharing meals together here.
Sunim picked up a shovel and tried scooping out some mud.
“The shovel is very sturdy.”
He then pulled a wheelbarrow next to the mosque and demonstrated shoveling mud into the wheelbarrow and moving it.
Sunim dumped the mud from the wheelbarrow into a depression in the ground and leveled it.
While inspecting each item, all the residents gathered at the mosque. Sunim explained the process of how JTS brought relief supplies here and expressed his hope that they would help with recovery efforts even a little.
“Wa alaikum salam!” (And upon you be peace!)
The Roads Are Open and We Have Returned, Let Us Unite Our Hearts to Overcome This Disaster
“Everyone, it’s good to meet you. You must have been very shocked by the sudden major flood, right? I was also very shocked when I heard the news in Korea. JTS President Park Gina came here wanting to help you, but couldn’t reach you because the roads were blocked. So she could only provide emergency support near the main roads that vehicles could access before returning. Afterward, the president suggested to me that ‘the damage in the areas we couldn’t reach is very serious, so we should support those areas when the roads open.’ So when I heard the roads were open, I also came to visit these villages. In every house, mud was piled up to waist height and hadn’t been cleared yet, and all the farmland was covered with mud. I thought the most urgent task was to clear the mud from inside the houses. For that, shovels, wheelbarrows, and hoes were needed. Also, since there were no dishes or kitchen utensils in the houses, about 700 people were gathering next to the mosque for communal cooking. With Ramadan approaching soon, people need to cook at home, but each household didn’t have gas stoves. So we prepared gas stoves.
All the residents cheered loudly, clapped, and rejoiced.
The distribution of relief supplies then began. Since FDP volunteers had distributed numbered tickets to each household in advance, only those whose ticket numbers and names matched correctly at the entrance could receive relief supplies.
Residents lined up in order of their coupon numbers and began entering one by one. They first received a wheelbarrow, then made a round in the mosque courtyard to collect all the relief supplies in their wheelbarrow before leaving. Sunim was in charge of distributing the wheelbarrows, which was the first item.
“Thank you.”
Various residents – fathers holding their children’s hands, grandmothers representing their families, women wearing burkas – received relief supplies while expressing their gratitude to Sunim and JTS supporters.
Some men shook hands with Sunim to express their gratitude. As people continued to request handshakes, Sunim removed one glove and continued the distribution.
“You are a good man!”
Residents who received wheelbarrows next received gas stoves. Each time a gas stove was placed in a wheelbarrow, a pleasant “thunk” sound resonated. Next, gloves were distributed. Both the FDP volunteers distributing and the residents receiving were happy.
Next, shovels were distributed. A long line of people pulling wheelbarrows continued.
Squeegees were then distributed, and finally hoes were added on top.
The faces of residents leaving the mosque with wheelbarrows full of gas stoves, gloves, hoes, shovels, and squeegees bloomed with smiles for the first time in a while.
As the sun began to shine more intensely, Sunim became drenched in sweat. However, seeing the happy faces of residents receiving wheelbarrows naturally brought smiles.
“Terima kasih.” (Thank you.)
Residents repeatedly expressed their gratitude and joy. The distribution to all 210 households was completed within an hour of starting. Subsequently, only gas stoves were provided to those whose homes were completely destroyed and who were living in temporary tents, as they didn’t need cleaning tools.
After distributing 25 gas stoves, all prepared items were completely exhausted. The number of affected households surveyed in advance matched exactly with the prepared supplies.
“This is the last one. Good work!”
The children staying in the mosque, their temporary shelter, beamed with bright smiles every time they ran into Korean activists, repeatedly saying ‘Annyeonghaseyo’ (Hello), ‘Sarang-hamnida’ (I love you), and calling them ‘Unni'(Sister) or ‘Oppa'(Brother).
As they were leaving the mosque after completing the relief distribution, a young woman who appeared to be a college student followed Sunim and handed him a letter. The letter was carefully written in Korean. It turned out she had copied it from a translation, though it seemed she knew Korean.
Your Support Has Given Us Hope to Stand Again
“To Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, Respected Sunim. Hello. We are the residents of Kubu village in Aceh who are experiencing great difficulties due to this flood. When everything seemed hopeless and our hearts were heavy due to this sudden disaster, we were deeply moved that you traveled such a long distance to visit our village personally. Your warm smile and the helping hand you extended have become a great hope for us to stand up again.
Thank you so much for not forgetting us and coming to visit. We will cherish the warm heart you have sent us and overcome this trial well. We sincerely pray that peace and happiness fill every place your footsteps touch. Please always stay healthy. Thank you so much. From the residents of Kubu village, Aceh, Indonesia.”
After Sunim carefully read the letter written in Korean, he said:
“Thank you. Since you don’t know Korean, you must have had to draw pictures to write all these letters.” (Laughter)
Sunim took a commemorative photo with the female student who gave him the letter.
He then took photos in turn with the village chief, FDP volunteers, and female residents before leaving the mosque at 10 AM.
They quickly moved to the next distribution site. After a 15-minute drive, they arrived at Pante Baro Kumbang village.
Like yesterday, FDP volunteers and residents in this village were also busily assembling wheelbarrows.
Most of the parts needed for wheelbarrow assembly had arrived, but the handle parts had not yet arrived. President Park Gina busily moved around to assess the situation and devise countermeasures.
“What time will the truck with the parts arrive?”
“It seems it will arrive at 2 PM.”
Distribution could not proceed at the scheduled time because the parts had not arrived.
“Alright. Then we’ll postpone the relief distribution to 4 PM. When the handles arrive at 2 PM, we’ll quickly complete the assembly and start distribution at 4 PM.”
“Yes, that’s possible.”
They decided to withdraw for now and assess the situation further. President Park Gina and FDP volunteers continued their strategy meeting over lunch, while Sunim returned to his accommodation for a brief rest.
The bigger problem was Sawang area, the last relief distribution site. Here, the entire wheelbarrow parts had not yet arrived. Despite multiple confirmations, they initially said it could arrive at 5 PM, but with each phone call, the expected arrival time kept getting later.
While contemplating countermeasures, they received news that the truck with supplies had arrived at Pante Baro Kumbang village. They immediately headed back to the village.
At 4 PM, they arrived at Pante Baro Kumbang village and checked the preparation status of relief supplies. As soon as the handles arrived, residents and FDP volunteers worked diligently to prepare everything for distribution.
This village has 316 households, making it the largest village among the emergency relief targets. When all the villagers gathered, Sunim offered words of comfort to the residents.
“Wa alaikum salam!” (And upon you be peace!)
How Shocked Were You by the Sudden Flood?
“I was truly heartbroken when I heard the news that you had suffered great damage from floods and landslides. When I came here last week, I saw houses completely buried in mud, household items washed away, and nothing left. To clear the mud from your homes, you need shovels, hoes, and wheelbarrows. I heard that since household items were lost, everyone gathers at the mosque to eat together. So I wanted to provide gas stoves, dishes, and kitchen utensils, but due to lack of preparation time, we could only prepare gas stoves for this first round of support.
Though Times Are Hard Now, Let’s Overcome Together Under Allah’s Grace
Although we are facing difficulties now, let’s work together to overcome these hardships. Allah, whom you believe in, will not abandon you and will take good care of you.”
Tears welled up in the eyes of FDP representative Azar, who was interpreting. The residents’ eyes also reddened.
The distribution of relief supplies then began. When residents brought their wheelbarrows, Sunim personally placed gas stoves into them first.
“Makasih” (Thank you.)
Next, squeegees, gloves, shovels, and hoes were distributed in order. The residents’ hearts were filled with as much hope as their wheelbarrows were with cleaning tools.
However, the pace of residents entering gradually slowed down. President Park Gina investigated the cause. It turned out that FDP volunteers were calling out each resident’s name one by one. Calling names took time as they searched for each person.
“Since the coupons given to residents have numbers on them, let’s have the residents line up in numerical order. That will speed up the distribution.”
When President Park adjusted the distribution system, the speed increased dramatically. The line of residents wanting to receive relief supplies continued without pause.
Smiles bloomed on the faces of residents as they headed home with their wheelbarrows.
Since there were many households in this area, the distribution took two hours. Sunim was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
After finishing the distribution, as Sunim wiped his sweat, a young man from the village carefully brought and offered some fruit. He said the fruit was called “bogiri matang” and introduced it as a fruit that grows in this region.
“Thank you so much for coming to our village from so far away.”
After refreshing himself with the fruit, Sunim discussed the relief distribution plan for the last remaining village with the FDP volunteers.
“It will probably be after 7 PM. All the bridges collapsed due to flooding, so temporary bridges were built, but they’re one-way only. That’s causing severe traffic congestion. It’s difficult to predict when we’ll arrive at the village.”
“Even if it’s dark, should we distribute tonight? Or should we distribute early tomorrow morning and then head straight to Banda Aceh? You all have to go to work tomorrow.”“We’d prefer to distribute tonight even if it’s late. If we finish the distribution and drive through the night, we can make it to work tomorrow.”
“Good! Then let’s go to Sawang village now.”
Since all FDP volunteers are volunteers, the problem was that they had to go to work tomorrow morning. However, everyone was prepared to stay up all night.
After taking a group photo together, they departed from Pante Baro Kumbang village at 6 PM and headed to Sawang village.
As expected, traffic became extremely congested as they approached the temporary bridge. The vehicle carrying relief supplies was also expected to arrive at the village after 8 PM.
When it became 7 PM during the journey, the FDP volunteers stopped at the nearest mosque to pray. Watching the FDP volunteers wash their feet and enter the mosque, Sunim said with a smile.
“These people are more dedicated to prayer than Jungto practitioners. When prayer time comes, they stop the car no matter what and pray.”After finishing their prayers, they continued on their way. As the sun completely set, they continued toward the mountains, alternating between bumpy unpaved roads and paved roads.
As they approached Sawang village, they finally met the truck carrying relief supplies. Amir, who was volunteering as a driver, was very happy.
“We finally found the truck!”
Leaving their joy behind, they continued driving toward Sawang village. Thinking of the residents waiting for relief supplies, they couldn’t rest.
It wasn’t easy to find the way on the rural roads. They encountered a road where cars couldn’t enter and had to turn back to find another route. Finally, they saw lights in the distance where village residents had gathered. They arrived at Sawang village at 9 PM.
Despite the late hour, all the village residents had come out and were eagerly waiting for the relief supplies. They said this was the first time foreigners had come to this village. Some residents came out of curiosity to see what Korean people looked like.
First, JTS President Park Gina verified the number of affected households. This was a necessary process because the number of prepared items had to match the number of affected households. However, no matter how many times they checked, the numbers didn’t match. One FDP volunteer kept saying that 153 households had their homes completely destroyed and only needed gas stoves, not cleaning tools. However, 153 households was a number that had never been mentioned in any preliminary surveys.
Eventually, they called together all three village chiefs to verify the number of affected households again. Since there were no residents who could speak English, after repeated translations, it was finally revealed that the total number of affected households was exactly 118, the same as the preliminary survey.
Only then, feeling relieved, Sunim apologized to the village residents and offered words of comfort.
We’re Late Due to Road Blockage… Hope Delivered Through the Darkness
“We came here to provide even a little help after you suffered flood damage. We originally planned to distribute relief supplies this afternoon, but due to road blockages, the truck carrying the supplies arrived late, which is why we’re meeting you so late at night.
“Yes!”
“Terima kasih” (Thank you.)
The residents readily accepted the situation and expressed their gratitude.
It was too late to distribute the relief supplies. The wheelbarrows also needed to be assembled, but it was impossible to do so tonight. A few FDP volunteers agreed to stay and distribute the relief supplies tomorrow morning, and at 10:25 PM, all the residents were sent home.
Sunim expressed his gratitude to the FDP volunteers who had participated so dedicatedly in this emergency relief effort.
“We are more grateful to you for helping our country.”
“Are you going directly to Banda Aceh tonight?”“Yes.”
“It’s late at night, so please drive carefully.”
After saying goodbye to the FDP volunteers, Sunim left Sawang village at 10:30 PM and headed to the accommodation.
After driving non-stop through the night, he arrived at the accommodation at 1 AM and concluded the day’s activities.
With this, the first phase of emergency relief support for the Indonesian flood victims was successfully completed. Thank you to all who support JTS.
Tomorrow, Sunim will leave the accommodation in the morning and head to Banda Aceh Airport. He will depart Indonesia on an evening flight and return to Korea via Kuala Lumpur Airport in Malaysia.